Installing electric vehicle chargers at dealerships is proving to be complicated and costly, according to an Automotive News report.
There are problems with utilities and city planning departments. There are different types and numbers of chargers to install. Dealers are finding there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
“The more we dig into this whole shift, it’s becoming more and more apparent that it’s not cheap. And it’s complicated. And it’s time-consuming,” said Rinaldi Halim, president of Sierra Automotive Group, which has six stores selling Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Subaru, Honda and Chevrolet vehicles in Los Angeles and Monrovia, Calif.
While dealers have extensive experience with facility upgrades, the technical nature of installing chargers at commercial scale is often beyond their expertise. Depending on the age of the building, the proximity and capacity of their current transformer and other factors, dealers must develop custom solutions to meet their brands’ requirements.
With some exceptions, most automakers have outlined EV plans that require dealers to install various numbers of Level 2 and Level 3 chargers at their stores over the next few years.
Dealers are spending $400,000 to $750,000 to install infrastructure for Level 3 chargers — the fastest type, which takes 15 to 20 minutes to refill most of an EV’s charge. They are adding transformers, switchgears and panels, a process that typically involves drilling through parking lot pavement or even through a public road or alley, consultants and dealers said. Dealers are often learning about construction needs as they go.
Read the full Automotive News report.
Source: https://rvbusiness.com/no-easy-solution-to-ev-charger-installation-auto-dealers-say/
